Win7 OS Recovery - Service Tag Issue

The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool is here (it should be updated to a new build in 1-2 days) and works with all Windows 7 OEM/Windows 8.x OEM and Windows 10 OEM licenses:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10 

I've put together full installation instructions here:

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/windows-oem-faqs-and-downloads/#CleanInstall15063 

If you must use Windows 7 then see here to Download the January 2016 Windows 7 Reinstallation .iso:

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/windows-oem-faqs-and-downloads/#7601 

I need to install Windows7.

Thank you for the reply,  but the installation guide is not much use at the moment since I cannot download the .iso file with my service tag to begin with - that's my issue.

(Unless there was a relevant part which I overlooked; then be so kind and copy or link it directly)

What is the (nature of the) problem with my service tag?

Where to find out?

Thank you for the answer,

Ferdinand

ejn63, you must be mistaken.  On 12/26/2017, I called customer support & was able to order a "Dell Direct USB Recovery Key Win7 Professional 64-bit CUS KI T, WW" for $19.95. It was delivered the first week of Jan 2018. My aging Optiplex 790's HDD had died. Finding a 1TB drive  for < $30 @ Microcenter and this recovery key saved my bacon 'cause I'd spent almost all of my spare money on Xmas. Also, last week, 04/02/2018, I discovered the Dell OS recovery tool while looking for drivers for a friend's e6330. I was able to download an image for my optiplex and her latitude. My image worked perfectly but her's stalled with an error about the cdrom driver.  I joined the forum to see if I could find a solution without bothering tech support.

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@wichit3xwrote:

@ejn63, you must be mistaken.  On 12/26/2017, I called customer support & was able to order a "Dell Direct USB Recovery Key Win7 Professional 64-bit CUS KI T, WW" for $19.95. It was delivered the first week of Jan 2018. My aging Optiplex 790's HDD had died. Finding a 1TB drive  for < $30 @ Microcenter and this recovery key saved my bacon 'cause I'd spent almost all of my spare money on Xmas. Also, last week, 04/02/2018, I discovered the Dell OS recovery tool while looking for drivers for a friend's e6330. I was able to download an image for my optiplex and her latitude. My image worked perfectly but her's stalled with an error about the cdrom driver.  I joined the forum to see if I could find a solution without bothering tech support.

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Since ejn63's reply back in October 2017, Dell is offering Windows 7 ISOs for download for business-class PCs.

Optiplex and Latitude are included. I bought a used E6230 and was able to get the Dell Windows 7 ISO using the Service Tag #.

However, while ISOs are nice, having a disk image as backup as nicer.

It will save you hours of Windows 7 updates following a fresh install. 

.

.

This is by far the most useless "Solution" I have ever read, PARTICULARLY in my case, where I CAN NOT Upgrade to Windows 10, and I am attempting to restore my Windows 7 (That I already bought from Dell) through their very own, provided, OS Recovery Tool. It's a simple download, and no troubleshooting should be required at all in order to simple... Download... it. 

In a nutshell, Windows 10 doesnt work for everybody.

Windows 7 has always worked on this system. 

If Dell has removed the w7OS from their OS Recovery Tool Archive, at least give me a refund for Windows 7.

"I CAN NOT Upgrade to Windows 10"

You are correct.  HOWEVER the OEM key works fine for systems with hardware that will do windows 10.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet

Windows 7 is End of Life in Jan 2020

That can be a system as old as Optiplex GX620 from 2006 as long as you have a WINDOWS 7 OEM COA key.

Microsoft has made it illegal for ANY vendor to provide windows 7 media.

Violation of DMCA.

This is why the Digital River Downloads were also removed.

https://www.neweggbusiness.com/product/product.aspx?item=9b-32-350-238

The Home or Pro does not matter.  When you install you say "I do not have a key" and it installs.  You then change the key to the windows 7 COA key to activate.

This is not an upgrade its a clean install.

I have a Dell XPS 13 that I am trying to set up which originally came with Windows 7 Pro. Tried this install/Windows 7 key suggestion and it did not work. I managed to get Windows 10 set up but Microsoft rejected the COA which is located on the bottom of the computer under a flap. I took a picture of the COA so I didn't mess up the key. I literally have gotten the message "The product key you entered didn't work. Check the product key and try again, or enter a different one. (0xc004f050)".

Error code 0xc004f050 refers to a problem with activating Windows key. Either its not a 7 key (XP and VISTA keys Are not supported.), its been used on another pc, or the key has been re. re re used so many times that microsoft has blocked it.

You cannot use the 7 key to install

You have to use the I don't have a key option

If your version of 10 doesn't have this then you use a generic key to install home or pro.

VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T (Windows 10 Pro)
YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7 (Windows 10 Home - multi language)
BT79Q-G7N6G-PGBYW-4YWX6-6F4BT (Windows 10 Home - single language)

Once online you change the key to activate with ADMIN COMMAND PROMPT

RUN   SLUI 3

SLUI. SPACE 3

Install the Dell Recovery Tool, go to your program menu and click on "Recovery Tool" (do not click on the shortcut created on your desktop)

When the Recovery tool starts, point it to the ISO of the Dell OS that originally came on the computer. If you don't have one, you can get it here:

http://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/14-windows-7-direct-download-links

The images are hosted by Digital River, who also run the Microsoft Store. So there's no legal issue here, and you can also be sure that the disks haven't been tampered with.

Put the ISO on a 16GB USB flashdrive (its too big for a dvd),

If your Flash drive says the ISO is too big, that means it has the FAT 32 system and won't take file sizes larger than 4GB, so simply reformat the Flash drive-choose NTFS instead, leave all the settings alone but make sure the quick choice is checked. 

Have another Flashdrive, this one a blank 16gb USB flash drive.

Go back to the Dell Recovery Tool, point to the Flash drive with the ISO on it, hit next. Now point to the Blank Flash drive and click to start burning. It will create a bootable flash drive ready to reinstall your Dell OS.

I just did this tonight, I thought I was going to have to trash my old Latitude E6410 after installing Win 10 and waiting until after 30 days to really test it out. I found out that Win 10 randomly crashes this old but faithful laptop. I could not revert back, and then I found out that the back up image I had created for it years ago didnt work. Thanks to these tools and thanks to Digital River, my laptop is as good as new.